Two-time Grand Slam champion and current world number four, American tennis player **Coco Gauff**, expressed her thoughts on why she viewed her encounters with Polish player **Iga Swiatek** as the most challenging of her career.

“This was the only matchup that truly weighed me down. In the past, I overthought it because I was really eager to achieve that first victory. When I finally managed to secure it, it felt like I erased all the previous matches from my memory. Naturally, she is an exceptional player and has earned her victories. In many of our matches — not all, because she has genuinely outplayed me at times — but especially in the earlier ones, I would step onto the court already at a mental disadvantage.

Once I overcame that psychological hurdle, I was able to play more freely. I’ve not faced a rivalry quite like this in tennis, which made it particularly difficult to handle. Now, I feel I can play without restraint. Yes, the overall record still heavily favors her, but I simply push that out of my mind. The past cannot be changed — I learn from it. How everything concludes, we’ll find out at the end of our careers. But at least I know that future matches will not start for me with a mental deficit,” Gauff stated during a press conference at the Australian Open.

Swiatek leads their head-to-head series 11-5, yet Gauff has secured four consecutive victories in their recent matchups.